Ahmedabad: Dashama Vrat is a ten-day event involving various rituals and practices to honour Dashama (also known as Ashapura Maa or Momai Maa) and seek her blessings. It commences on the first day of Shravan as per the Gujarati calendar, which this year falls on August 5. The Vrat will go on for 10 days and end on August 14. 

Significance of Dashama Vrat

Goddess Dashama, often depicted riding a camel with four hands, represents divine feminine power. This Vrat, also known as Dashama Na Naurta or Navaratri, is observed to seek happiness, prosperity, and good fortune. The ritual aims to correct astrological imbalances and bless devotees with wealth and good health. 

Rituals of Dashama Vrat

On the Amavasya of Ashadh, devotees, especially married women, install a Sandhani (a clay figure) of Goddess Dashama along with Lord Ganesha in their homes. The person who brings the statue observes a partial fast for ten days, consuming only a wheat-based diet and one meal per day. They wear a red-coloured thread with ten knots (Kautuka) on their right hand, perform daily puja, read the Dashama Katha, and eat Prasad.

During these ten days, devotees recite prayers, sing bhajans, and read religious scriptures. Each day, they wake up early, bathe, offer prayers, and light incense sticks to Goddess Dashama. Some devotees abstain from regular food, consuming only fruits, milk, and permitted items, with some observing a complete fast without food or water.

The Vrat concludes with an important ritual on the last day. Devotees engage in Jagaran, followed by the immersion of the murti into a river. This practice symbolises the return of the goddess to her divine abode. The Dashama Vrat is traditionally observed for five years, culminating in the donation of a silver Sandhani to a Brahmin.

Dashama Vrat Katha (story)

The story of Dashama Vrat features King Vijay Singh and his devout wife, Roopmati, who lived in a palace called Jal Mahal in Gujarat. One day, the queen saw women performing rituals and worshipping Goddess Dashama from her window. Intrigued by this spiritual practice, she asked her maids about it and decided to worship Dashama herself.

When King Vijay Singh found out, he was angry and ordered the queen to stop, saying Dashama is only worshipped by the unprivileged. Upset by this, Dashama caused misfortune to the king’s kingdom. Fruits in his orchard began to dry up, and sweets he offered turned to stones.

The king faced even worse troubles and was imprisoned by a neighbouring ruler. While in jail, he realised his disrespect towards Dashama was the cause of his woes. He began worshipping Dashama and observed the Vrat for ten days, which restored his fortunes.

In times of growing challenges and hardships, finding peace and happiness is often a struggle. May this year’s Dashama Vrat bring abundant joy and prosperity to everyone’s lives. DeshGujarat